A Night Worth Forgetting
by Superkoi
Summary: After starting a food fight in the cafeteria, Mr. Condor assigns Sonny and Chad on babysitting duty as punishment. Will they be able to stand eachother for a whole night and deal with Mr. Condor's devilish children? Channy!
1. Punishment

**A/N: First SWAC fic ever! I never thought I'd like this show, but the more I started watching it, the more I realized how much more awesome it is than other Disney shows. The characters are very well-developed, and the character's relationships (coughCHANNYcough) are really mature. Anyway, I think Sonny and Chad are just the cutest thing, so why not write about them? :) **

**A Night Worth Forgetting: Chapter 1**

I twirled my fork around my mashed potatoes--if you can even call them that--aimlessly. I watched the gravy swirl into the white fluffiness until it was completely mixed together, brown and lumpy.

Gross.

My fork continued to swirl through the mashed potatoes as I glanced around at the nearly empty cafeteria. The time was three in the afternoon, which is kind of a weird time to eat. It's after lunch, but not quite dinner. So it's more like a... _linner_. Or a _dunch_. The only reason I was here is because my rehearsal ran later than expected. I invited Tawni to join me for a linner, but I almost forgot that she's boycotting cafeteria food ever since the lunch lady, Brenda, refused to give her a steak. So I came by myself, making mashed potato soup on my plate.

"Did your friends finally realize what a loser you are, Sonny?"

I looked up from my tray to see Chad Dylan Cooper sauntering toward my table with his linner balancing easily on his upward facing palm. He glanced at the vacant seats around me, smirking. I could sense a snide remark coming.

"No, _Chad_," I spat out his name. "I'm just the only one who felt like having some linner."

He scrunched up his eyebrows at the unfamiliar word, but quickly returned to his usual arrogant expression. "Well, I'd offer to join you, but it looks like you're pretty popular today."

I looked at the empty chairs again. "Gee, thanks."

He smoothly took a seat across from me, and placed his tray down on the table before him. I rolled my eyes at his rack of lamb, but he continued smirking. His eyes suddenly landed on my dripping glob of mashed potatoes.

"Gross," He shuddered. He began laying out a napkin in front of him. Stupid fancy eater. "So is this what you Randoms spend your time doing at lunch?"

"No," I muttered defensively, picking up my fork and stirring it around some more. "I was just bored."

"Well, then it's a good thing for you that I came along," Chad grinned dazzlingly. I was practically immune to his charms by now because I could see through him like a fish tank! But that doesn't mean I don't find his antics attractive... not that I do or anything! I'm just saying...

"Yeah, good thing," I giggled with another eye roll. "So what brings you here?"

Chad was already scraping the lamb meat off the bones with his knife. "Just having a late lunch."

"You mean... a _linner_?" I couldn't help but laugh out loud at my own silliness. Chad, however, didn't seem so amused.

"Um, no," He replied, completely deadpan. "I mean a late lunch."

I narrowed my eyes at him and his lack of a sense of humor. What a wet blanket. "It's the same thing, Chad."

"I know," He said in a tone that sounded like he was talking to a four-year-old. "But over at the Falls, we tend to use words a little more sophisticated than the ones you make up at Chuckle City."

"Hey!" I snapped. I flicked my fork out of the potatoes to point it at him threateningly, but that didn't exactly work. A huge wad of lumpy brown potatoes came flying off my fork and landed right on...

The perfect. Chad. Dylan. Cooper. _Hair_.

My eyes widened in horror as the watery potatoes slowly trickled down his shiny blond hair and dripped onto the tip of his nose. I smacked my hand over my mouth to hide my amusement. Then Chad's face turned a shade of red I had never seen before. He was completely frozen as the potatoes dripped onto his face, and his eyes suddenly locked onto mine. I could tell he was seconds away from having a male-diva meltdown.

"Munroe," He growled through gritted teeth. His hand slowly rose to wipe the food out of his hair, and the chunk of slimy potatoes rested on his finger tips. Chad gave a disgusted expression.

I couldn't contain it anymore. I burst into hysterics as the blond heartthrob shot daggers at me, still as motionless as a statue. Between laughs, I managed to get out, "Sorry, Chad!"

"That's it!" My apology obviously wasn't accepted. Chad reached for his cup of strawberry fro-yo, and catapulted a giant scoop of red goo at my face. I put my hands up for defense, but a majority of the tasty red mess splattered on my forehead. I involuntarily yelped as the icy fro-yo landed on my warm skin.

"Chad!" I complained, desperately reaching for my napkin.

"It's not so funny anymore when it happens to you, huh?" He held his fro-yo spoon tightly, ready to fire at any moment. That jerk! Once I had wiped off most of the fro-yo, I scooped up another heaping wad of potatoes. This time, I aimed my fork at Chad and flung it straight at him. Another glob hit him on the cheek, and he was still fuming.

"Nope, but it's even funnier the second time it happens to you!" I shot back confidently. Chad wiped the potatoes off with the back of his hand, and tossed another spoonful of frozen goo. It landed on the front of my favorite white blouse. Now it's personal! I didn't hesitate as I reached for another forkful of potatoes. Chad had already loaded his spoon with more fro-yo, and the food fight commenced. Wads of potatoes and strawberry fro-yo were flying back and forth between the two of us until our shirts and faces were painted with red and brown stains.

"Chad, stop!" I finally blurted out through the flying mess. My attempts obviously weren't working because Chad lifted the remains of his fro-yo, and hurled the entire contents of the cup at me. Thinking fast, I ducked my head and just missed the fro-yo. I lifted up again and stuck my tongue out at Chad Dylan Cooper.

Whew! That could have been--

_Splat!_

...bad.

Chad's expression was no longer menacing, but shocked as we heard the fro-yo hit something--or worse, some_one_--behind me. My mouth was a perfect 'o' shape as I slowly turned around in my seat to see the remaining fro-yo splattered onto the face of none other than Mr. Condor.

Chad and I simultaneously gulped.

Mr. Condor wiped the fro-yo from his eyes and blinked multiple times. His lips formed a straight, unamused line across his stern face. I knew we were in trouble now. Call me crazy, but flinging frozen yogurt at the studio manager didn't seem like an appropriate thing to do. Finally, Mr. Condor spoke.

"You two, my office, _now_,"

Chad and I knew better than to disobey. We both rushed out of our seats and followed Mr. Condor all the way to his office where even the bravest have not dared to travel. The pictures hanging on the walls of the hallway used to make me smile whenever I passed them, but now they seemed to be staring me down as I walked by. I felt Chad gently nudging my side with his elbow.

"Way to go, Random," He whispered icily as we continued to follow behind Mr. Condor. I turned my head toward him with an outraged expression. I opened my mouth to reply, but stopped when I realized we had reached the office at the other end of the studio. Mr. Condor rigidly motioned for us to enter, so we stepped inside shamefully. I can't believe this. I never get in trouble! It's all thanks to stupid jerk-face Chad provoking me!

"Well," Mr. Condor closed the door behind him as Chad and I took seats in the chairs in front of his desk. I sunk down in mine. "I don't know what's gotten into you two."

I felt like I needed to say something. "Mr. Condor, I--"

"A food fight is completely unacceptable in the studio!" He exploded, making both me and Chad lean back in our seats. His face was bright red, but I couldn't tell if it was from anger or the fro-yo stain. "Now tell me who started this mess!"

Two pairs of eyes suddenly turned directly to me. Oh, great... My mouth fell open slightly as my mind scrambled for something to say that would let me keep my job. Unfortunately, my improv skills didn't seem to be working at the moment. I could hear my heart pounding against my chest as Mr. Condor grew more and more impatient.

"It was me," Chad proclaimed loudly from beside me.

Both me and Mr. Condor shot our heads toward Chad. My eyebrows were raised in surprise. What in the world was he _doing_?

"Chad?" Mr. Condor muttered with as much surprise as me. The blond actor shrugged calmly--over confident as usual--and sat upright in his seat. Before he spoke, I noticed him sneak a glance in my direction.

"Mr. Condor," He began slowly. Oh, I knew that voice! That's the voice he reserved exclusively for charming people into seeing things his way--the Mackenzie voice! It was surprisingly effective; I have never seen it fail yet. I released a sigh as I watched Chad work his magic. He looked up through his eyelashes and gave a small smile. "I know it was wrong of me, and I am completely sorry for causing all this trouble. I know I speak for both me and Sonny when I say that we will do whatever it takes to make up for our mistake."

There was a moment of silence, and my eyes frantically shot back to Mr. Condor. Judging by his softened expression, I could tell he had bought it. Chad was still smiling, obviously satisfied with himself. Darn him... I hate that he really _is_ a good actor.

Mr. Condor cleared his throat. "Well, then. I suppose we can work something out."

This is insane! How can Chad be so manipulative? I looked over at his grinning face and 'humph'-ed under my breath.

"Thank you, sir," Chad replied, still using his Mackenzie voice. He motioned toward me with grace. "We really appreciate it."

I nodded like an idiot. Thanks for making me seem so incapable, Chad...

"Let's see..." Mr. Condor paced back and forth behind his desk, and stroked his chin as he thought of a good punishment for us. Hopefully Chad's little speech had buttered him up enough to let us off easy. I pursed my lips nervously as we waited in silence. "I have just the task! My wife and I have been invited to this year's annual Microsoft Gala by our good friend Bill Gates. The event takes place this Saturday at eight p.m. and we should be back around one in the morning."

"And what do we have to do?" I asked before Chad could respond. I wanted to make sure Mr. Condor realizes I don't need someone else to speak for me.

"You two will have to do some babysitting," Mr. Condor answered briskly.

"_What_?" Chad and I blurted out in unison, eyes wide.

Mr. Condor chuckled, unfazed by our expressions. "My oldest daughter's only ten years old! She can't stay home alone for that long."

Chad and I exchanged a look, terror evident in both our faces.

"Wait, your oldest daughter?" Chad repeated nervously, his voice raising a couple octaves. "So you mean...?"

"Dakota Condor," I finished morbidly. Chad sunk all the way down in his chair while I just gawked. I was expecting someone to pop out from behind the desk and yell 'just kidding', but no one did.

"Great! You two should arrive no later than seven forty-five," Mr. Condor would have slammed his gavel down on the desk at this moment if we had been in a court room. Chad and I continued to sit still in our seats.

...What just happened?

**A/N: I got this idea while babysitting. I thought it would be hilarious if Chad and Sonny somehow got stuck babysitting together! But I needed a reason for them to babysit in the first place… hence this chapter! I wrote this basically just to set the scene. Future chapters will actually contain the Channy stuff we all love! I'd appreciate feedback on my first SWAC fic! **


	2. Convertibles, evil children, and cookies

**A/N: This chapter is freakin' long! I didn't intend for it to be, but I just kept writing and writing… Oh, well. At least the story's moving along. It was fun to write, anyway. Hope you enjoy! **

**A Night Worth Forgetting: Chapter 2**

I had a hard time concentrating at rehearsal that next Saturday. I tried so hard to get lost in the sketch, but I just kept thinking about how that stupid Chad Dylan Cooper subjected us to babysitting Dakota Condor! So what if I did throw the first potato? It's his own fault for deserving it!

"Cut!" Marshall called out from his director's chair. I immediately turned out to the audience, squinting into the blinding lights shining onto the set.

"Sorry again!" I groaned, crossing my arms across my chest as Marshall approached with his signature worried expression. "I keep forgetting my line!"

Marshall placed his hand on my shoulder and pulled me aside. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Tawni--who was in the sketch with me--turn and walk off the set while rolling her eyes at my unprofessional behavior. I don't blame her; I was frustrated with myself, too.

"Sonny," Marshall started once we were off the set. "Why don't we take a break?"

My eyebrows rose. "No, Marshall! I'm fine now, really. I just need to--"

"No, really," He interrupted over me. "Take a few hours to review your lines and get back into the funny zone!"

"Marshall," I was about to complain again, but released a sigh of defeat when I noticed Tawni talking on her cell phone, probably venting to someone else about how we can't get through this scene because of me. Maybe a break would be best for everyone. "Alright, fine."

Marshall gave my shoulder a reassuring pat and walked off. I stood there for a moment, glancing around at the busy studio. Usually, I'm happiest when on the set of So Random, but I can't stop dreading my night with Chad and Dakota. Even when he's not here he bothers me! I grumbled under my breath and stomped off toward the food table. I grabbed a bottle of water and started chugging it down.

"Morning, Random," Chad's voice was suddenly behind me. I spun around, giving him a curt smile. I suddenly felt very self-conscious in my fairy costume that I had been wearing for rehearsal. I could feel my face turn bright red as I tried to nonchalantly smooth out my glittery tutu.

"Morning, Chad," I responded bitterly. I adjusted the sparkly tiara on my head. "What are _you_ doing here?"

He shrugged and shoved his hands in his pockets. "Just came to confirm our _date_ tonight."

"It's not a date," I corrected almost too quickly. "And yes, it's confirmed. As if we have a choice."

Chad sighed and shook his head slowly, his shiny golden hair drifting across his forehead as he moved. "You shouldn't have lost your temper and so violently threw that crap at me."

My mouth dropped open, and I placed my water bottle down on the table. "It was an accident!"

"So how are you getting to Mr. Condor's house tonight?" He asked, completely ignoring my outburst.

"I'm taking the bus," I answered. He probably asked me that just so he could rub the fact that he has a fancy new car in my face. "Why?"

"How about I give you a ride there?"

Okay, wasn't expecting that. My eyes narrowed. "What's the catch, Cooper?"

"That hurts me, Sonny," Chad placed a hand to his heart with feigned disappointment. "I come to offer you a ride out of the goodness of my heart—"

"Really, Chad? Really?" My hands landed on my hips. I knew better than to believe that Chad Dylan Cooper has any goodness inside his heart.

"Fine," He dropped the act. "In all seriousness, I'll pick you up at seven thirty, okay?"

Was he still acting? Honestly, I couldn't tell anymore. He seemed genuine, but I've been fooled by his charm before. Maybe this was one of his random streaks of kindness that he's been known to rarely have. Well, whatever the case, it beats having to take the bus.

"That sounds great, Chad," I smiled at him; a real smile. "Thanks!"

He smiled back, but only for a moment. Secretly, I enjoyed these private moments we shared. There are times like these where he seems like a completely different person. I like the nice Chad Dylan Cooper. My thoughts were broken off when I noticed him staring me up and down, his eyebrows pulled together. "What exactly are you supposed to be?"

"I'm a Sunshine Fairy!" I announced happily with a giggle, throwing my hands into the air and striking a pose.

Chad blinked, expressionless.

I guess I have to explain everything to him. "Get it? Sunshine Fairy? _Son_shine, like my name?"

"Yeah, still not funny,"

I brought my hands down and glared at him. "You obviously don't get comedy."

"You obviously don't get that I don't care," He smirked at me, his cerulean eyes gleaming. "So seven thirty it is?"

I crossed my arms again. "Fine."

"Fine,"

"Good,"

"Good,"

* * *

I saw Chad in his sparkly new convertible pull up the driveway of my apartment building from my window. He was checking himself out in his rearview mirror, and adjusted the sunglasses on his face. What a loser. It's seven thirty; the sun's not even out! I quickly shuffled away from my window and paused once I passed my mirror. I fluffed my hair briefly and stared back at my reflection. My makeup was perfectly applied and my hair was full of volume, just like Tawni had encouraged me to do after all this time. I don't even know why I got so made up just to babysit, anyway. It's not like I want to impress Chad or anything… I don't care what he thinks of me.

I glared toward my window when I heard Chad honking his car horn from outside. He's so impatient! I grabbed my jacket from the coat rack and stuffed my cell phone in my pocket before rushing out the door.

"What's with the sunglasses?" I asked as I approached his car. I have to admit that it _was_ a nice car. He shot me a glance over the top of his lenses while I settled into the clean leather seat.

"In case the paparazzi spots us," Chad looked over his shoulder as he pulled out of my driveway. "I can't let the public know that I'm hanging out with the likes of you."

I turned my head away from him. "Good, save us both the embarrassment."

We were silent as Chad drove one-handed down the street. I watched the buildings become blurry as we flew past them, the cool evening air whipping against my face. I finally decided to look back at Chad. The blond was leaning casually back in his seat, enjoying the breeze just like me. I smiled to myself. I like hanging out with him when we're not arguing.

"So I never got to thank you for taking the blame," I told him with a small grin.

He glanced at me briefly, but then turned his attention back to the road. "Taking the blame on what?"

"The food fight," I explained, tucking a piece of hair behind my ear. "You didn't have to do that."

Chad gave a wide smile, remembering the moment. "I know. That's just the kind of charming guy I am."

"Really, Chad?" I laughed. "I thought you would've just left me to fend for myself."

"Well, I knew Mr. Condor wouldn't fire _me_," He flipped his hair suavely and his smile turned into a smirk. "But you on the other hand… well, you're just so… _replaceable_."

"I'm _replaceable_?" I demanded with a scowl. I could feel myself losing my temper. "_You're_ the one who's replaceable! How hard is it to say a couple lines, throw in some dramatic pauses, and treat others like a complete jerk?"

Chad raised his eyebrows and turned to me threateningly. "Do you wanna walk the rest of the way or not?"

"Chad, we're already here, anyway," I motioned in front of us toward the giant mansion Mr. Condor called a home. It was the biggest house I had ever seen! A neatly decorated garden surrounded the stone pathway that led to their front porch. It looked like a model home in a magazine. The house was impressive, but not unexpected for someone as rich as Mr. Condor.

"Fine, then," Chad spat out angrily, turning off his car engine. He struggled for a moment to remove his seat belt, and then leaned in toward me. "I was _going_ to be a gentleman and open your car door for you, but you know what? I'm not going to!"

With that, Chad slammed his car door shut and started walking up the stone path. I released a long sigh before I started to follow him up to the door. Great, this is just perfect. Now we have to spend the rest of the night together. Chad rang the doorbell and waited, refusing to look at me.

"Welcome!" An elegant looking lady answered the door with a huge smile planted on her outrageously red lips. Her brown hair was styled high on her head, and she was wearing a ball gown that probably cost more than twenty college educations. I assumed this was Mr. Condor's wife. "Come on in!"

Chad and I stepped inside the house, and I gasped silently. The foyer was as big as a regular sized house, and created an echo when we spoke. A giant crystal chandelier hung above our heads, and a polished spiral staircase snaked along either side of the wall. It was the most beautiful house I had ever seen!

"Your house is amazing," I smiled at Mrs. Condor, scanning the entire area.

She waved off my compliment. "Oh, it's nothing, really."

"Sonny and Chad!" Mr. Condor's booming voice bounced off the walls of the foyer as he made his way down the staircase. When he reached the bottom, he wrapped an arm around his wife's waist. "Thank you for coming on time."

"Not a problem, sir," Chad replied sweetly. What a suck-up.

"Dakota and my youngest, Anna, should be down any minute," Mr. Condor told us, tugging at his crisp black suit.

"You mean there's more than one?" Chad mumbled under his breath. I jabbed him in the ribs before the Condor's could hear him.

"And we're running a little behind," Mrs. Condor slung her evening purse over her shoulder, and gave her over-volumized hair a fluff. "So we'll just hop in the limo and be on our way."

Mr. and Mrs. Condor rushed out the door as if they were overjoyed to be getting out of the house. Chad and I barely had time to say anything else before Mr. Condor called out, "Bye, kids! We'll be home around one!"

The door shut, and the noise rattled the valuable vases decorating the foyer. Just then, a familiar voice came from upstairs, followed by the sound of footsteps bounding down the staircase. I turned my head around to see the little monster Dakota skipping down to us.

"Chad!" She squealed. Her blond curls bounced around as she propelled herself right into Chad, wrapping her arms around his waist. "I've missed you!"

Chad stood motionless. "I can't really say the same."

"Hey, Dakota!" I greeted happily. I might as well get on her good side. Not only does her father own the studio I work at, but I don't want her going all crazy-evil on me again! I kneeled down to her level.

"Oh… Sonny," She let go of her iron grip on Chad and faced me, arms crossed. She probably only hates me because Chad does.

"Ready to have lots of fun tonight?" I tried again, keeping the same enthusiasm in my voice. How heartless can this little girl be?

"Fun with _you_?" Dakota snorted, brimming with attitude. "I don't think so."

"Babysitters, babysitters, babysitters!" Another childish voice came bounding down the stairs. This time, I turned around to see a smaller version of Dakota running toward us, her pink bow flopping over her doe-like eyes. She approached me timidly, smiling her toothy smile. "Hi, I'm Anna!"

Well, at least one kid likes me. "Nice to meet you, Anna. I'm Sonny!"

"Yeah, yeah, and I'm Chad," Chad interjected rudely. "Can we just skip to the part where you guys go to bed?"

Anna clung to my leg in fear of Chad's icy expression. Smart girl. Dakota stepped forward fearlessly, hands on her tiny hips, staring Chad up and down. "We don't _have_ a bedtime."

Chad looked down at the girl expectantly. I can sense a diva face-off. "Not when _I'm_ in charge."

Luckily—or so I thought at the time—Anna broke the tension by tugging on my jeans and releasing an ear-splitting screech that seemed to shake the entire mansion. Chad, Dakota, and I cringed at the sound of the sobbing child.

"W-What's wrong, Anna?" I practically yelled over the noise. I was losing my enthusiasm.

"I WANT COOKIES!" Anna cried, falling into a heap on the ground, pounding her small fists against the clean wooden floor.

I paused and looked at Chad helplessly. It's not like I expected Chad to know what to do in this situation, but it was getting to the point where I was at a loss. I managed to stutter, "Um…"

"She likes cookies," Dakota rolled her eyes. "Home-made ones."

"Home-made?" Chad scoffed, cracking a condescending smile. "_Some_one's spoiled."

I turned to him, eyes narrowed. "You're one to talk. Don't get me started on you and your stupid loganberry smoothies!"

"COOKIES!"

"Alright, already!" Chad exploded, rubbing his temples. He turned to Dakota once again, defeated. "Where's your kitchen?"

Dakota pointed down one of the many hallways, and then started dragging her weeping sister across the floor into the living room. "By the way, we like extra chocolate chips."

Chad and I stood in the foyer as we watched the Condor kids disappear into the other room where the soft murmurs of the television could be heard. Chad finally stretched his arms into the air and started slowly making his way in the direction of the kitchen.

"Let's get a move on, Sonny," He prompted, surprisingly calm. "Apparently, we have some cookies to bake and I have _no_ idea how to use an oven."

I grumbled to myself, but followed anyway. Besides, what other choice did I have?

**A/N: Sorry again for the long chapter! Haha, I got carried away. Anyway, look forward to some cookie baking fun next chapter! And Dakota and Anna are about to get even more evil! Gasp! Review please! **


	3. Just call me Cinderella

**A/N: Another chapter! I really like to write this story. I especially like this chapter because the Channy moments are starting to appear! YAY! And, by the way, thanks to everyone who wrote really nice reviews! I totally love your feedback.**

**A Night Worth Forgetting: Chapter 3**

The timer on the oven went off, catching my attention. Bitterly, I opened the door and was hit by a delicious waft of freshly baked cookie fumes. If I weren't so angry about having to bake these all by myself, I would have instantly been cheered up by the smell. I took out the tray of cookies and lay them out on the counter. Then I crossed my arms and glared at Chad who was sitting comfortably at the kitchen table.

"Cookies done?" He asked nonchalantly.

I could strangle that snobbish heartthrob right now. "Yes, no thanks to you."

"I told you I don't know how to bake," He defended. "I have people do that for me."

"Whatever," I mumbled, trying to keep my voice even. He's so frustrating! We've only been here for thirty minutes and I'm already dying to leave. I turned away from him, and started washing my hands in the sink. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Chad get up from his seat and make his way over to the cookie tray. Instinctively, I swirled around and slapped his hand away before he could grab a cookie. He recoiled quickly.

"Hey, what was that for?" He demanded.

"These cookies are only for people who help _make_ them," I explained with a 'humph'. Chad looked back at the cookies, then at me again.

"What about the kids?"

"Except for them," I added softly.

"Fair enough," Chad chuckled, and gave a shrug. Then he reached his finger into the leftover cookie dough bowl before I could stop him. "I can always just tell you to make me my own personal batch."

He tapped his cookie dough covered finger against the tip of my nose, and I felt the gooey dough against my skin. My eyes narrowed. Are we really going to start this again? But I couldn't help it; I felt my temper start to rise quickly.

"Like I would ever do that for you," I replied brashly. I scooped up a handful of dough and smacked it against his cheek. Chad stepped back, shocked, and tried to wipe off the cookie dough from his face. I laughed at his reaction, but didn't seem to notice when he grabbed an extra egg from the carton and aimed it at me. He sent the egg flying in my direction, but I ducked and it cracked against the glossy wooden floor. I started hurling handfuls of flour at him as he continued reaching for the cookie dough. It wasn't long before we were both covered in sticky cookie dough and caked in thick flour. I was so focused on getting my revenge on Chad that I completely forgot where we were.

"Chad, stop!" I called out, and this time he actually listened. I looked around at the once flawlessly spotless kitchen that was now covered in our food fight remnants. My expression dropped, and I released a groan. "What is it with us and food fights?"

Chad wiped off his flour-covered jacket. "Don't ask me. You're always the one who starts it."

"Okay, let's not argue about this. Let's just clean up this mess." I took a step toward the sink, but felt something under my shoe sliding across the floor. I looked down to see my foot in the egg yolk that cracked on the floor. It was too late to do anything because the next thing I knew, I slipped forward. I desperately grabbed onto the closest thing around me to keep my balance—that thing happened to be Chad. I pulled both of us down onto the floor, hard.

"Ow…" Chad mumbled. I opened my eyes to realize that Chad was lying right on top of me. He pulled his weight up so that his knees were straddling my hips and his hands were against the floor on either side of my face.

This is _really_ awkward.

"Sorry," I whispered, my face turning bright red from the fall. Chad looked down at me with an adorably lost expression on his face. Wait… adorably? Nothing about Chad Dylan Cooper is adorable! Except his sparkly blue eyes that were now focused entirely on mine. I felt my breath start to shorten. Was it just me or did he just lean down closer to my face? My heart was really racing now and—secretly—I enjoyed the feeling. Yes, he is definitely leaning in closer now.

"COOKIES!"

Chad immediately rolled off of me and stood, leaving me still frozen on the floor. I saw him slowly extend his hand toward me, and I took it. With ease, he helped pull me to my feet even though I felt slightly wobbly on them. Anna and Dakota came bursting into the kitchen, huge smiles plastered on their faces. Anna stood on tiptoe as she greedily snatched almost all of the cookies off the tray, and scurried off into the living room again. Dakota took one cookie and started nibbling on it until she noticed the wrecked kitchen.

"What happened to our kitchen?" She demanded, her voice dropping several octaves.

My eyes scanned the room frantically. "Um, we just had some trouble with the cookie batter."

Dakota eyed us darkly. "Mommy and Daddy won't be very happy."

"Don't worry, Dakota!" I burst out, giggling nervously. "Chad and I are going to clean it up right now!"

"You mean _you're_ going to clean it up, Sonny," Dakota corrected with fake sweetness. "Chad is going to come play a game with me."

Chad snorted. "There is no way I'm—"

"Do you want your show cancelled?"

"I'd love to!" Chad replied quickly, his voice rose higher. He suddenly looked at me. "You heard her, Sonny. Start cleaning."

Who am I? Cinderella? I saw Dakota staring victoriously at Chad as she continued to bite her cookie. Yikes, what an evil little girl! I sighed, defeated, and picked up the sponge.

"I'll be waiting in the living room, Chad!" Dakota squealed with over-the-top sugariness. The demon child skipped off into the living room, and disappeared.

"Well, this is great," I grumbled sarcastically. "Now those cookies will give them a sugar rush."

Chad grinned mischievously. "Oh, I don't think we'll have to worry about that."

I looked at him suspiciously. "What do you mean?"

Chad reached into his pocket and pulled out a small box of Nyquil. "I put this into the batter when you weren't looking."

My eyes widened, and I snatched the box away from him. "Chad! You drugged Mr. Condor's kids?"

"It's over-the-counter medicine," Chad shrugged coolly. "It's not like it'll kill them. In about twenty minutes they'll be out cold."

"Yeah, but it's extremely unethical," I scolded him, tossing the empty box of Nyquil into the trash bin. I looked over at Chad who was now yawning.

"You're being a little too self-righteous for my taste," He began walking toward the living room. "I'll be out here entertaining the little brats. Have fun cleaning, Munroe."

He disappeared into the room just like Dakota had, leaving me alone in the messy kitchen. What happened to nice Chad? I began scrubbing the countertop because it's not like I had anything else to do. I took out my anger on the kitchen as I mopped the floor with vigor and rubbed the walls till they were spotless. The kitchen looked as good as new by the time I was through with it. I hadn't heard anything from Chad and the kids so I assumed everything was going well. But I should've known better than to think that.

* * *

"Chad? Dakota? Anna?" I walked into the living room, but no one was there. The television was on, but no one was watching it. I stood quiet for a minute, but I couldn't hear any movement. I walked back into the vacant kitchen. "Anyone?"

This is weird. Where could they be? I guess they could be a million places in a mansion like this. I walked back through the living room, and entered the foyer. My eyes landed on the giant spiral staircase scaling the walls. I began climbing them carefully. When I reached the top, there were several doors to enter, but I had no idea what was behind them. I felt like I was in a game show. Behind which door is the fabulous prize? Although I wouldn't necessarily call Chad and the kids a 'fabulous prize'… I went through the door all the way at the end of the hallway because it was opened just a crack.

"Um, hello?" I called out to the silence. I didn't get a reply. The room was pitch dark when I entered, so I switched the lights on blindly. The large lamp overhead flickered on to reveal an unorganized study. The desk near the window was flooded with stacks of papers and an open laptop. Half-filled coffee mugs littered the surfaces not covered by papers. I assumed this was Mr. Condor's office. "Anyone?"

The door of the storage closet on the other side of the office creaked open, making me jump in fright. I saw Chad's familiar blond head peer out from the door, scowling. "Could you be any louder?"

I spun around. "Chad? What are you doing in the closet?"

"_Whisper_!" He ordered me. My mouth shut instantly. "I'm playing hide and seek, and your loud-mouth is giving me away!"

"Chad Dylan Cooper plays hide and seek?" I laughed.

He rolled his eyes. "Chad Dylan Cooper _only_ plays hide and seek with his boss's daughters."

"Sure," I started walking toward him, making sure not to be too loud. Chad and I froze in place when we heard tiny footsteps making their way up the staircase. Before I could ask him what I should do, I felt his hand grab my upper arm and yank me into the closet with him. It was completely dark inside except for a small strip of light coming from under the door. I could just barely see Chad's eyes staring at the closed door. I shuffled around uncomfortably, but couldn't step back more than an inch. There wasn't much space in here at all. I'd think that someone as rich as Mr. Condor could afford a bigger storage closet. I was firmly pressed against Chad's chest which was, again, pretty awkward. All I could hear was our breathing, and the beating of Chad's heart. I don't think I've ever been this close to him before. I inhaled silently through my nose and got the full effect of his cologne. I never realized how good he smells… wow, that sounded strange. But it _is_ true. I closed my eyes and actually enjoyed resting my head against Chad Dylan Cooper.

"Gotcha!" Dakota's voice rang out as the closet door flew open. I opened my eyes and quickly lifted my head off of Chad's chest, smiling sheepishly. Chad sighed over-dramatically—his specialty—and stepped out of the cluttered closet.

"Thanks a lot, Munroe," He watched me clumsily stumble out of the closet. "I told you to stop making so much noise."

And just like that, we were back in reality. Nice Chad was gone… _again_. "You should have picked a better hiding place."

Anna came bounding into the room, jumping up and down in delight. "You lost, you lost, you lost!"

"And do you know what happens to losers, Chad?" Dakota sang evilly, completely ignoring me. I swallowed hard.

"Um, make you more cookies?" I guessed hopefully.

"Wrong!" Dakota announced loudly, hands on hips. Her eyes became slits, and her entire face suddenly got very dark. "Something _worse_."

Chad and I exchanged a look, then looked back to see the two girls grinning mysteriously.

Uh-oh.

**A/N: Stupid kids ruining the Channy love! Haha, but they just had to. Otherwise, what would I continue writing about? ;) Next chapter involves more Channy, more evil, and some Nyquil side-effects (oh my!). And don't worry—the night's not over yet! Review please! **


	4. Follow that cow!

**A/N: Sorry for the small break I took. School's been kicking my butt! But a huge blizzard just hit, so now I have this long break to write. :D Enjoy! **

**A Night Worth Forgetting: Chapter 4**

"This definitely _is_ worse," I sighed uncomfortably, tugging hopelessly on the tightly knotted scarf around Chad's wrists and mine. Apparently, Dakota and Anna's cruel idea of 'losing' meant tying the babysitters down in chairs, then running off somewhere in the house where they couldn't hear us calling for help. They seemed to find great joy in watching us attempt to untie ourselves for a while, but then got bored and left, leaving Chad and I back-to-back in chairs with our wrists tied together behind our backs. What kind of sick things are the parents teaching these kids?

"None of this would have happened if you would have just kept quiet, Munroe," Chad huffed, not even bothering to help me escape.

"Well, maybe you shouldn't have agreed to play hide-and-seek on their own terms without finding out what they were first!" I argued back, giving my bound hands another rough yank so that he would feel it, too.

"I didn't have a choice," Chad accented each word dangerously. "But maybe I would have if you hadn't got us stuck babysitting in the first place!"

My face burned red from anger. Good thing he was facing the other direction; he always makes fun of me for my embarrassing tendency to blush whenever I got mad. "Maybe you shouldn't have been such a conceited jerk-face to me!"

"You shouldn't have lost your temper!"

"You're so annoying!"

"Am I, Sonny? Am I really?"

I felt like slapping him across the face, but I still didn't have access to my hands. Instead, I gave our hands another forceful yank, causing the blond brat to release a cry of pain.

"Hey, careful with the hands!" He ordered, giving his hair a flip. "I have an autograph signing tomorrow, so they've got to be in perfect condition."

I rolled my eyes sarcastically. "Oh, life is so tough for mister celebrity over here."

I heard him give a sardonic chuckle, but couldn't see his face to tell if he was smiling or not. "Sounds like somebody's jealous."

"I am _not_ jealous!"

"I didn't say it was you," I could tell he definitely cracked a smile now. "But now I know it is."

He is the most frustrating person alive! I'm already upset that we're stuck babysitting the worst children ever, and I really don't need his stupid split personality giving me any more emotional trauma. Sometimes he's nice and surprisingly caring, and most of the time he's just an annoying snob—like right now! I don't which is the _real_ Chad. I wish I could just go home right now... I don't feel like being trapped here with him anymore.

I started getting so wrapped up in my thoughts that I didn't even notice a few stray tears begin to well up in my eyes. Don't cry, Sonny, don't cry! Chad will never let you live it down! Unfortunately, I couldn't control my frustration, and the tears began rolling down my cheeks. Maybe he won't notice.

"Sonny?" He asked after a long silence. Stupid Chad. _Now_ he decides to care about me?

I gave a defeated sniffle. "What?"

My crying must have been more obvious than I thought. Chad tried to turn around in his chair to look at me, but the scarves around his waist prevented him from doing so. At least they were good for something. "Are you... crying?"

"No," I answered too quickly. I know I'm a horrible liar, and so does Chad. I braced myself for his upcoming teasing and ridiculing, causing more tears to flow down my face. I heard him attempt to mumble a few words almost as if it were hard for him to admit what he was about to say.

"...I'm sorry."

My tenseness left my body, and everything seemed to freeze in place. That was not the response I was expecting. Did Chad Dylan Cooper just _apologize_ to me? He's apologized to me via autographed picture before, but I've never heard him actually speak those words until now. I didn't think it was even possible for him to say that without a script and camera crew around.

"What?" I asked again through tears.

"You heard me," He replied softly. I didn't expect him to say it twice. "Isn't that what you're supposed to say when you make someone cry?"

"I'm not crying because of _you_," I insisted unconvincingly. Technically, I'm not totally lying. I'm also crying because of being tied to this stupid chair, but it still came out of my mouth sounding like a lie.

Chad was sitting unnaturally still in his chair. "Well, then, why are you crying?"

Is it just me, or does he actually sound like he cares? That would be a first. Too bad he's being annoyingly intrusive to my emotions. It almost over-powers his niceness. "I... don't know."

"Well, cut it out," He told me bluntly. He heaved a sigh that was almost too quiet for me to hear. "I hate seeing you so un-Sonny-like."

My eyebrows perked up. "Really?"

Chad cleared his throat and began to unsuccessfully attempt to form comprehensive sentences. I could tell he'd be blushing right now if I could see his face. This made me smile through my tears. "Uh, you know, it's... that's not really what I—well, you know, never mind."

Okay, so maybe he _does_ care. In his own Chad Dylan Cooper way. Surprisingly, I was fine with that. But now it's time for me to get my revenge for all the times he's kicked me while I was down. "What's wrong, Chad? Can't speak without a script?"

"Where are the little brats anyway?" Chad announced loudly, not so slyly changing the subject. I shook my head gently.

"I don't know," I suddenly remembered that we were still tied down to these chairs. Oh, great. "Maybe we should get ourselves untied first."

Chad began yanking on our tied wrists with no mercy, completely ignoring me telling him he was hurting me. After a few hopeless attempts, he stopped. "What kind of kid ties a knot like _this_?"

"Chad, in case you haven't noticed, these are _not_ normal children," I muttered darkly. Zora wasn't kidding for all this time. There was only one word to describe Dakota Condor and her sister: evil.

"Dakota! Anna!" Chad called out in frustration, his voice echoing through the mansion. "If you ever want any cookies again, you better—"

"Chad!" I blurted out over top of him. Something just clicked together in my mind. "The cookies!"

"Let me guess; now you're hungry?" He asked snarkily.

"No," I gently pushed backward against his chair. "You put sleeping meds in the cookies! Thanks to your 'brilliant plan', the kids are probably sound asleep right now."

There was a long pause as both of us digested our current situation.

"Oh, right," Chad finally responded. My mind started racing. What if we're stuck here forever? What if Mr. and Mrs. Condor get stuck in traffic and can't make it home till tomorrow and we're forced to stay tied in these chairs for the rest of our lives?

"I saw a documentary on TV one time about these two guys who got their legs stuck under a boulder in the Grand Canyon. They were stranded for days and had to resort to cutting off each other's limbs," I ranted off in one breath. My heartbeat was quickening.

Chad gave a cynical 'pssh'. "Quit the comedy stuff, Munroe. I know it's what you do and everything but, really, cut it out."

I gulped. "You wouldn't cut off my wrist, would you, Chad?"

"Okay, that's gross," The blond protested. "I don't know what you do over in Wisconsin, but here in Hollywood we have a little more class than that."

"Some people do some pretty extreme things in drastic situations," I continued to prattle on. I couldn't gain control of my thoughts as they popped into my head. "Some people even resort to cannibalism. I remember back in Wisconsin I did this school report on the ancient tribes of Fiji, and some people really _did_ eat other people! There were people trapped on this island off the coast, and—"

"I got the scarves untied,"

My mind backpedaled and came to a dead stop. "What?"

"While you were blabbering away, I started working on the knot some more," Chad victoriously pulled his wrists away from mine. "It just needed to be loosened a little more."

My face felt warm. "Oh, uh... I guess I overreacted."

Chad released a genuine chuckle and stood up from his chair. The heartthrob gave his hair another flip, and stretched his arms into the air. Wow, I never realized how toned his arms are... Uh, what? I mean, pssh, who cares about Chad's arms? I stood up quickly, still looking away from him.

"Sonny," I swirled around to see Chad standing closer to me than I expected. I jumped slightly from the surprise, and he cracked a smile. "You should probably grab a tissue or something."

My hand reflexively flew up to my face. I felt the faint traces of tear stains running down my cheeks, and my eyes still felt damp from crying. They were probably all red and puffy, too. Great, I spent all that time applying my makeup for this? I mumbled something that hopefully sounded faintly like 'thanks', and rushed to Mr. Condor's desk where a box of tissues was sitting. I grabbed a couple and started dabbing my eyes. Stupid tears. I probably look ridiculous right now... not that I care what I look like in front of Chad.

When I finally assumed I looked presentable, I turned around to see Chad fixing his hair in the mirror hanging on the wall. I had to say what was on my mind. "Chad, I really appreciate what you said earlier... you know, the apology."

Chad looked away from his reflection, flashing me his 'Mackenzie' eyes. Stupid attractiveness! I could feel myself softening inside. "Believe it or not, I really meant it."

I nodded like a bobble-head. "I believe you."

He took a step closer to me. His 'Mackenzie mode' was in full swing right now. How was I ever going to survive this? The strange thing was, this 'Mackenzie mode' seemed different than the others. This time he seems... sincere. Is it even possible for Chad Dylan Cooper to be sincere without playing a character? He glanced away for a second, and then averted his gaze back to me almost as if he were nervous. What's going on here?

"I didn't mean to make you cry," He swallowed carefully. "You don't deserve someone treating you like that."

Pull it together, Sonny! This is _Chad Dylan Cooper_ you're talking to! Be strong!

"I... don't?" Was all I could muster in such a scrambling moment.

He shook his head slowly, his golden hair moving softly around his face. Then he sighed softly almost like he had just given up on something. "Never mind."

I felt like saying, 'don't _never mind_ me! What were you about to say?' but I just nodded mindlessly again. "Um... we should probably go check on the kids."

"Yeah," Chad agreed breathlessly. We both made our way down the stairs, and turned the corner into the living room. The kids were sprawled across the sofa, fast asleep.

"They look so innocent when they're sleeping," I commented quietly. Chad looked at me seriously.

"Don't let them fool you, Sonny," He walked gently closer to them as their small backs rose and fell as they breathed. Then he looked back at me. "You grab Anna, I'll take Dakota."

I looked startled. "What are you doing?"

"Relax," Chad told me. In one swift motion, he picked up the sleeping Dakota and slung her over his shoulder. "We're just going to take them to their rooms."

Wow, that's surprisingly not evil. I was assuming he was planning some sort of vengeful plan that involved eventually getting us in trouble. I followed Chad's directions and gently picked up little Anna. I cradled her with both my arms as we made our way back up the stairs. After searching for their rooms, Chad and I lay the girls down on their beds.

"Thank goodness they're asleep," I said to Chad with a sigh as we exited their rooms.

"Now we just have to make sure they stay that way," Chad replied, eyeing me suspiciously. "Which means we have to keep the sound down, Munroe. I know that's pretty hard for a loud-mouth like you."

Before I could open my mouth to protest—quietly, of course—the telephone started shrilling obnoxiously throughout the mansion. Chad and I shot each other a wide-eyed look before bolting down the stairs. Why does their phone have to be so _loud_?

"Where's their phone?" I whispered urgently to Chad as we raced around the house like lunatics.

"How should _I_ know?" Chad whispered back agitatedly. The phone gave another explosive ring. I started sprinting toward the sound, and finally spotted the small house phone on the kitchen counter. I made a dive for it and managed to grab the little sucker, but slipped on the floor I had just cleaned in the process. Chad rushed into the room just as I pressed the 'talk' button.

"Hello?" I answered quickly, trying to sound like I hadn't just made a complete body-dive for the phone. I stood up and briefly brushed myself off.

"Sonny?" Mr. Condor's voice asked through the phone. "This is Mr. Condor."

I looked at Chad with a frantic expression. His bright blue eyes widened worriedly. "Oh, hi, Mr. Condor! Is everything okay?"

"Yes, yes," He said over all the noise of the party in the background. I glanced at the kitchen clock; it's only eleven. "I'm just checking in to make sure my little angels are doing alright."

"We're doing fi—oh! You mean the kids!" The flustered look on my face caused Chad to silently laugh. "They're doing great! We just put them to bed."

Mr. Condor's booming laugh sounded through the phone. "You got them to bed _already_? You two must know what you're doing."

This was almost enough to make me laugh myself. I released a forced chuckle, and replied through clenched teeth. "You bet, Mr. Condor."

"I'll be going now. Expect us home in a couple hours," With that, he hung up. I pressed the 'end' button forcefully and placed the phone back in the holder. What a night!

"Well, Sonny," Chad began with his usual cocky grin. For some reason, I didn't find it as annoying as I normally do. "Now that the kids are out of the way, wanna watch a movie?"

"Sure!" I replied with a smile of my own. I can't quite explain why my heart started fluttering like crazy at that moment, but it did. We made our way into the living room where I crashed into their extremely comfy sofa. There were no lights on in the room, but the enormous mega-screen TV projected enough light to see. I felt like I was sitting in a movie theatre with much more comfortable seats. Chad started looking through the shelf of DVDs until he removed one he liked.

"I always knew the Condors had great taste," He grinned proudly as he waved a Season 1 DVD of Mackenzie Falls at me. I groaned loudly and leaned back into the sofa as Chad popped in the DVD.

"Are we seriously going to watch _you_?" I grumbled, but giggled slightly. Chad Dylan Cooper is the only person I know who would watch his own TV show's DVD during a babysitting job. As the start-up screen began playing, Chad took a seat beside me.

"Of course!" He answered easily. I crossed my arms as the first episode began playing. My So Random cast mates would kill me right now if they knew what I was doing. My mind started drifting away from the episode that was unsuccessfully grabbing my attention. Now I'm starting to notice how close Chad is sitting to me. I could smell his amazing cologne again, and my heartbeat picked up once more.

Snap out of it, Sonny! Think of something else. I uncrossed my arms and let them lay beside me, but my left hand landed right on top of Chad's. I recoiled immediately as another flash of warmth drifted to my cheeks. I stealthily glanced at Chad out of the corner of my eye. He still seemed fixated on the screen, so maybe he didn't notice...

"If you wanna hold my hand, you should just say so, Munroe. But you sat on the wrong side again," He commented arrogantly. His eyes averted away from himself on the TV screen, and landed on me. He had a smug expression on his face as he waved his opposite hand into the air. "My holding hand is over here."

Chad is such a moment ruiner. I rolled my eyes sarcastically. "Oops, I must've forgotten."

Much to my complete surprise, I suddenly felt his warm hand touching mine. I looked down to see his fingers interlocking with mine. A softer and more un-Chad-like smile appeared on his face. "But I guess I can make an exception."

..._Wow_.

I giggled nervously. We both seemed to forget that Mackenzie Falls was still on, and that we were still in reality for that matter. Nice Chad was back, and I'm hoping he'll stay a while. Our moment was ruined yet again when Dakota and Anna appeared in the doorway.

"You thought you could get rid of us _that_ easily?" Dakota wondered, brimming with attitude. Chad and I jumped apart. "Think again!"

"Think again!" Anna repeated in a much higher voice, trying to copy her sister.

Chad stood to face the kids. "Look, kiddies. This is how it's gonna be—"

"Not so fast," Dakota interrupted slowly. She removed an object from her pocket and held it above her head. It appeared to be a cell phone that looks exactly like... mine! "If you ever wanna see funny girl's phone again, you better start listening to _me_!"

I stood up immediately and started checking my pockets, but they all felt empty. It really _is_ my phone! She must've grabbed it while the two of them were tying us up to the chairs! "Dakota, gimme my phone!"

"You're gonna have to earn it," Dakota grinned maliciously. I suddenly felt like I was trapped in some kind of hokey horror film. Chad took a step closer to the girls, and they sprinted off in opposite directions.

"Hey, my phone!" I cried out desperately.

"Catch us, catch us!" Anna's giggly voice sang out as she disappeared to some other part of the mansion.

I flopped back onto the sofa. "Oh, great. Now they're awake and seeking revenge!"

Chad removed his own cell phone from his pocket and started dialing a number.

"Chad, what are you—"

He shushed me loudly, and we both froze in place. I suddenly heard the sound of distant mooing coming from somewhere in the house. My expression lifted. That's my ring tone! I stood up again, this time with more determination.

"Follow that cow!"

**A/N: Another long chapter! This one was pretty fun, though, because Chad and Sonny are finally starting to get past the whole 'I kind of hate you' thing. I figure that when it's just the two of them Chad finds it a little easier to show his nice side. He has it in him, but he's just scared of letting his guard down. Good thing he has Sonny to help him be himself. :) **** Next chapter coming soon! Will they get Sonny's phone back? Review please! **


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